FAYETTEVILLE — For the first time in three years, LSU put up a fight against Arkansas and delivered quite the haymaker early in the annual Battle for the Boot.
The Tigers (6-3, 4-2 SEC) scored three straight touchdowns in a little more than a quarter and then cruised to a 38-10 win over the Razorbacks on Saturday before 75,156 fans at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
After being outscored by a combined 48-14 by Arkansas the last two seasons, LSU rushed for 390 yards and totaled 547 total yards while dominating the game.
“A tremendous night obviously,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “We came to play. Great job by our players, our coaching staff all week starting Monday. We knew the task at hand, practice well and I thought we started fast.
“We knew Arkansas was a very good football team that would fight back. We had almost 400 yards rushing to their 81. I think that was the difference in the game.
“We (were more physical than) them and that was what we wanted to do. Our guys wanted The Boot and to take it back to Louisiana. Just a great night for us.”
It was a great night for sophomore tailback Derrius Guice, the back-up to heralded LSU junior Leonard Fournette.
Guice rushed for 21 times for a career-high 252 yards - including a school-record 96-yard dash to cap off the scoring - while Fournette had 98 yards on 17 carries.
Guice’s total was just shy of Fournette’s LSU school record of 284 yards set two weeks ago against Ole Miss.
“I was tired,” Guice said of his 96-yard run. “And it was cold so my body was stiff. I didn’t see that coming. So the play before that, I purposely got a run for loss to get that run. I set it up.
“I had no idea that was the longest run so that is great. I just want to applaud the O-line for setting that up for me, (offensive line) Coach (Jeff) Grimes) working every week with us and telling me ‘slow to, fast through,' teaching me patience, receivers blocking great down field and (fullback) J.D. (Moore) making all the holes for me. I just want to applaud them for that.”
It was clear that LSU was tired of losing to Arkansas and also of hearing of a post-Alabama hangover.
The Tigers have lost to Alabama the week before their game against the Razorbacks the past three seasons.
“Arkansas sees us as an easy victory every time we lose to 'Bama because we always play them right after," Guice said. "They felt like it was just a tradition to beat us every time we play 'Bama and lose.
“I am just happy we got to bring The Boot back home. I don’t know much about that, but I know it means a lot to the seniors and the older guys that have played for it. I am just proud we were able to bring it home for those guys.”
Guice noted that he was tired of hearing that the running game wasn’t where it should be. LSU was bottled up in a 10-0 loss to the Crimson Tide last week.
“I was tired of hearing that,” Guice said. “ I know the O-line was fed up with that. I know Alabama always stacks 10 people in the box to stop us. They’re scared as well. It is just always good to do our bread and butter and run down team’s throats and be physical.
“Everybody, especially Arkansas, thinks we are scared of them and going to lay down every time we play them after we play Alabama. That wasn’t the case tonight. We brought it to them and we brought The Boot back home.”
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema noted that he didn’t believe there is an “Alabama hangover” for LSU.
“I knew the comparison was going to be there right away,” Bielema said. “Obviously we go into each game expecting to win. We don’t really worry or count on anybody having hangovers. We just go out and execute our plan.
“They were motivated and they played very well today. However they came about that, I’ll leave them to comment.”
A key moment in the game happened after Arkansas had cut the deficit to 21-10 in the third quarter. LSU faced a second-and-19 at its own 10.
But the Tigers escaped the predicament with three consecutive run plays of 17 by Fournette, and 38 and 15 by Guice. LSU was aided by a late-hit penalty on Arkansas linebacker Randy Ramsey and extended its lead to 28-10 on a 3-yard touchdown run by Fournette.
“When they were able to run the ball, they got in a wide zone play and obviously got us gapped," Bielema said.
Oregon, who was an assistant strength coach at Arkansas from 1986-87, relished in the win.
“It’s good,” Orgeron said. “It’s changed. I have a lot of respect.... I have a lot of respect for the people here and what they did for me.”